Royal Chapel

Cordoba Cathedral is also a place that demonstrated the religiosity and power of the Spanish monarchy. Thus, Enrique II of Trastámara decided to build this chapel for the pantheons of his father Alfonso XI and his grandfather Fernando IV, which were eventually moved to the Collegiate Church of San Hipólito in 1736.

The Royal Chapel, which cannot be visited nowadays, was configured as a quadrangular enclosure. A highlight is the extensive and rich ornamental design of its walls, based on plasterwork, stylised plant motifs, diamond-shaped panels and epigraphical motifs. In this regard, Pavón Maldonado considered that "[...] This chapel, built and decorated during the reign of Enrique II (1372), due to its late date and decoration, can be considered a synthesis or summary of Arab and Moorish plasterwork, since the majority of the themes come together in the building".

The solution arrived at for its roof is also interesting, on choosing a vault that crosses four arches with another four in a diagonal shape.&nbsp All of these elements are decorated with plaster honeycomb work which contributes to the decorative density of the space.&nbsp

We must also not forget that the impact of this Moorish building extends beyond the boundaries of the building itself. Its creation exerted a clear influence on the architecture of the Cordoban nobility of that period, becoming the new style for the palaces and chapels built by the local elite.